Schools damaged by meteorite fixed

CHELYABINSK, Russia, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- All of the schools, kindergartens and hospitals that were damaged by the meteorite that hit Chelyabinsk, Russia, have been restored, officials said Sunday.

"All the medical, educational and social buildings have been restored. Studies at all children's educational institutions in the Chelyabinsk Region will continue on Monday," the the consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement.

On Friday, a meteorite struck the Chelyabinsk region near the Ural Mountains, RIA Novosti reported.

A shock wave from the strike caused windows at 700 schools and kindergartens and over 200 hospitals and social security facilities to shatter. More than 100,000 homeowners were also affected, Chelyabinsk Region Gov. Mikhail Yurevich said.

About 1,200 people were injured during the incident, mostly from broken glass.

More than 24,000 workers and 4,300 pieces of equipment have been brought to the area to clean up the damage caused by the meteorite, the regional Emergencies Center reported.

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